Crystal Songs
by NekoChronicles
Summary: A series of one-shots from the Crystal Bearers Universe, some of which tie into Draggy2013's fanfiction, "The Crystal Rule." Summaries for each chapter included.
1. Are We There Yet?

**A/N: **Wow my first story - and it's a fanfiction based off of a fanfiction? Ahaha that's right, this story takes place in the world of Draggy2013's 'The Crystal Rule.' (with her blessing of course) If you haven't read it, you should seriously go do so, like right now, before you read mine. I'm serious. **This story does contain spoilers for 'The Crystal Rule' **so if you haven't read it, and are planning on reading it, I suggest your read TCR before you read this short story.

On another note: I've drawn a LOT of fanart for this story and for TCR so check out my profile for links to my art sites if you're interested. Also, this is my first fanfiction so be gentle with the reviews, ya? XD

Now, without further ado, let's get started!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and all affiliated characters are owned by Square-Enix. I make no profit by these stories, they are just for fun.

* * *

**Summary**: Layle bounced around the Selkie train in excitement - finally, today was the day! He'd get to see Won race at the First Annual Chocobo Grand Prix!

**Characters: **Kid!Layle, Kid!Keiss, OCs

**Pairings:** none

**Warnings: **None

**Ties into:** Draggy 2013's "The Crystal Rule"

* * *

**Are We There Yet?**

* * *

"Are we _there_ yet?" The six-year-old bounced in his seat excitedly, his tangled mess of blond hair flopping into his face. The boy paused his squirming to push his bangs out of his eyes. The woman sitting next to him sighed and shook her head.

"I've answered you 26 times already, Layle," she chided, "The answer is still not yet."

"But Lyra, this train ride is taking _foreveeeeer_," the youngster puffed out his cheeks in a pout, "I want to see Won!"

_"Not this again,"_ The woman sighed deeply, slumping down in her seat as she rubbed her temples in resignation. Layle had been talking non-stop about seeing Won race at Chocobo Circuit ever since they'd sold him to Ranth Liett, the Lilty Jockey who'd won the auction for the golden Chocobo – _three months ago_.

"You'll see him soon enough. Have a little patience Layle - don't get _too_ excited," she glanced nervously at the bandage on his face, where just a hint of bluish light from his crystal was visible from underneath. "Remember what we talked about?"

Layle nodded solemnly before flashing a toothy grin at his mother, "No magic on the train!" Layle had been born a Crystal Bearer, with a small crystal embedded in his right cheek. Though it was small, it granted him incredible magical powers – which, more often than not, got him into more trouble than the average child; a _lot_ more trouble.

"That's right; we don't want to cause trouble for the Guild, do we?" Lyra prompted.

The blond's head shook vigorously, "No way, then we couldn't ride the train and see Won!"

The Train system was run by the Selkie Guild and connected the far regions of the Kingdom of Lilty to its center, Alfitaria Capital City in the Vale of Alfitaria. A rambunctious lot to be sure, the Selkies of the Guild were more interested in using the train system to swindle Lilty nobles out of their Gil than they were in uniting the Kingdom by rail. The ticket prices weren't cheap either, the Lilty might be able to afford it, but the Clavat certainly felt the strain on their wallets after riding the train. Lyra was thankful that Ranth Liett had invited to pay for their tickets; however her pride wouldn't allow her to accept charity from a friend. Her Gil purse was exceptionally lighter, but at least her pride was intact. Besides, without the railroad it would have taken them over a week to reach the Vale of Alfitaria and the Circuit by chocobo.

Lyra nodded, satisfied that her son wouldn't create an uproar on the train at least. Once they arrived at Chocobo circuit, though, was another matter entirely. She hoped she could keep his powers in check. Though Layle had been practicing controlling his magic over the past few years, his powers were still ruled by his emotions. If they went unchecked the small boy's magic could spin out of control; and at an event as large as a Chocobo race, there was no telling what could happen.

"Looks like there's a downside to wearing your heart on your sleeve," Lyra muttered to herself as she looked out the window at the passing scenery. Things had improved over the last year between Lyra and Layle, though she still sometimes felt like she couldn't read his thoughts. Then again, Layle was a hard child to read.

"Did you say something?" the curious Clavat boy turned to Lyra.

"It's nothing, why don't we play 'I Spy?'" Lyra suggested as the train sped onward - anything was better than hearing him ask, 'Are we there yet,' every two minutes.

* * *

"Wow! It's HUGE!" Layle shouted as they neared the circuit and dashed ahead of his mother - and out of her reach - before she could grab his hand.

"Wait, Layle!" Lyra picked up her skirts and ran after him as he made a beeline for the edge of the stadium. "Get back here!"

Layle stood in awe on the overhang of the monolithic racetrack. Larger than four Kickerbaul stadiums combined, Chocobo Circuit was a vast racetrack situated upon giant, ancient ruins. Normally the ruins were used for training the Chocobo Cavalry of the Lilty Army and wouldn't be used until the start of racing season in two weeks; but today, the track was being opened early for the First Annual Chocobo Circuit Grand Prix that was being held in celebration of Princess Althea's first birthday. It was rumored that the King, Queen, and tiny Princess would be in attendance in the Royal's hot-air-balloon high above the racetrack. Already, thousands of spectators, mostly Lilty, but with some Clavat and a few Selkie mixed in the crowd, were flocking to find good seats for the race. All around vendors were selling their wares: drinks, food – even stuffed Chocobos.

Lyra checked to make sure she still had her Gil purse after a Selkie rudely bumped into her and continued on his way. She sighed in relief - good, still there. With so many people in the crowd, the Selkie populace was sure to be thriving. Lyra glanced around at the collection of obscenely-dressed Selkies within the crowd of spectators. Ticket scalpers, pickpockets, and all other manner of brazen riff raff were stalking the crowd – putting their 'talents' to good use no doubt. Her sharp gaze spotted Layle at the edge of the stadium.

"Don't run off like that!" Lyra scolded as she ran up and deftly snatched Layle's hand before he could run away again. She tensed as a bulky Lilty guard passed them. Security was tight for the event and dozens of security guards patrolled the arena, all provided by the Royal Lilty Army of course.

"Stay close to me, you hear?" she asserted firmly, "and don't get too excited." Already they had passed numerous 'No Bearers' signs. She hoped no one would inspect the bandage on Layle's face too closely. Layle frowned and nodded glumly - Lyra sighed.

"Why don't we go find Won?" she suggested - the thought of the Chocobo would surely lighten the boy's mood.

Layle's face instantly brightened at the thought of his beloved feathered friend. He stood on the tips of his toes and shaded his eyes with his hand as he glanced around the area, searching for the chocobo stables. "I don't see him…" Layle looked up at Lyra sadly, "Where is he?"

Lyra smiled knowingly, "why don't you try calling him?"

"Will that really work?" Layle questioned.

"Only one way to find out," she laughed.

Layle took a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could, "Wooooooon!"

"Kweeeeeeehh!" A shrill cry rang out over the crowd, startling several onlookers who covered their ears in surprise. Layle grinned at Lyra in triumph; he'd recognize that 'kweh' anywhere.

"See? I told you," Lyra smiled, "Chocobos have very good hearing."

"Come on! Let's go! Let's go!" Layle tugged on Lyra's hand and dragged her off towards the sound.

* * *

They were greeted by the familiar scent of chocobo as they entered the stables. Everywhere Jockeys and their coaches were hurriedly readying their mounts for the race. Some whispered soothing sounds to their birds, while others fed them seed or gyshal greens to help calm their nerves. Lyra and Layle spotted Ranth Liett as he adjusted his steed's leather saddle.

"Won!" Layle screeched as he ran over to the chocobo, jumped onto the large bird's neck, and hung there, squeezing the chocobo in a tight, warm hug. Layle giggled as the chocobo kwehed happily and affectionately preened boy's hair.

Ranth glanced up in surprise and smiled. "Well, well, well! What do we have here?" the bearded Lilty's hearty laugh filled the stables; Lyra smiled, She was glad that Ranth Liett won the auction for Won. She had done business with the man before and had later heard of his exploits on the track - champion racer for three years running - besides which, he was an old friend and she knew that the golden chocobo would be well looked after in his care. She noted with satisfaction that Won's feathers were very clean with a lovely shine to them. "It looks like I've got two chocobos now!" The Lilty ruffled Layle's downy head, "Are you going to race too, Layle?"

"Oh! Can I?" Layle bounced around Won excitedly, "Can we race together?"

Lyra laughed, "I don't know, Ranth, Does he seem chocobo material to you?"

Ranth Liett surveyed the youngster before him with an appraising eye, "Hmmm, maybe if we feed him some gyshal greens first, he looks a bit thin."

Layle stopped bouncing and made a face, "Ewww, gross…."

"Speaking of greens," Ranth nodded towards one of the saddlebags hanging up on the wall of Won's stall, "Why don't you feed some to Won? It's his first race; I think he's a little nervous."

"All right!" Layle hopped over to the bag and began rummaging through its contents in search of the greens.

Lyra raised an eyebrow at Ranth Liett, "You kept the name, 'Won?'"

The Lilty shrugged and offered her a seat on his stool, "It made for a good stage name, so why not?"

"Stage name?" Lyra questioned.

The crow's feet around Ranth's eyes wrinkled as he grinned, "You'll see."

Layle gasped as he tipped the bag onto the floor, "Oops…" Some greens, star carrots, and an extra jockey uniform fell from the bag scattered all over the stall floor.

Ranth Liett stood and shouted at Layle, "Quick, get the carrots!" Layle stood motionless in surprise as the Lilty jumped onto the carrots before Won could get them and put them away into a chest in the corner. Ranth breathed deeply as he sat on his stool again, "That was way to close…"

"What was?" Layle asked, confused.

"Don't you already know, Layle?" Lyra sighed, "After all the reading you did on chocobo racing…"

"What?" Layle repeated, looking between the two adults for an explanation.

Ranth nodded solemnly. "It's against the rules to feed your Chocobo star carrots before a race. It gives them a rush of adrenaline –kind of like catnip is to cats," he explained.

"If Won had eaten one, the race officials wouldn't let him race today," Lyra continued. "Not that one of _my_ birds would need to cheat to win – and a golden chocobo at that," she scoffed.

A worried frown made its way across Layle's' face, "No way, Won has to race – he _has_ to!"

"It's all right," Ranth ruffled the boy's downy head, "Won didn't eat any, so he can still race."

"You're sure?" Layle asked seriously.

"Positive," Ranth chuckled.

Layle nodded as if satisfied then turned to Won and started scolding the overgrown bird, "Bad Won! No star carrots! You can have some_after_ the race, okay?" The golden chocobo cocked its head to the side curiously as his favorite Clavat wagged his finger in front of him.

"Looks like someone is having fun mucking around in the dirt with Clavat," a snide voice spat from a chocobo pen across the hall loud enough for Lyra to hear. Ranth and Lyra quickly turned around to see a thin Lilty man, short even by Lilty standards, leering venomously at the other Jockey. His chocobo was scruffy; it's feathers dull and raunchy. Lyra felt sorry for it. "Careful, they might stain your reputation." Lyra glared daggers at the man and rose to give the man a piece of her mind, but her angry retort was caught in her throat as Ranth stopped her and told her to sit down again.

"Noah," Ranth stated flatly.

"Ranth," the other Lilty smirked back at them.

"Nice to see you haven't changed since last season," Ranth observed calmly, "Seems your temper still matches your size."

Noah's face reddened, his voice rising, "I won't lose to you this year!"

"Oh? Like you said you wouldn't last year and the year before?" Ranth shot back.

"Just you wait, _Champion_," Noah threatened, "You won't feel so lofty when you're the one who loses!"

A loud, static noise sounded on the stable's overhead speakers, followed by a woman's voice, "Ten minutes until race start, all jockeys make final preparations and escort your birds to the starting line."

"Save it for the race, Noah," Ranth stated firmly, gaze almost daring the other Lilty to stir up more trouble. The antagonistic Lilty shirked under the other's gaze.

"See you on the racetrack," Noah grunted as he led his scraggly chocobo away.

"Who was that?" Lyra asked irritably, still miffed that Ranth had stopped her earlier.

"Noah Todd, my self-proclaimed 'rival,'" Ranth sighed deeply, "He's been on a losing streak for two seasons and has apparently decided to blame me for it. More than likely because of Won here," Ranth patted the bird's side reassuringly.

"Utter nonsense," Lyra exclaimed, "I ought to give him a piece of my mind!"

Ranth shook his head, "You'd better not, Lyra. He's been known to mingle with the wrong crowd. It's better to be careful around him or just plain stay away."

Lyra crossed her arms, still angry at the man's snide racial comments. The overhead speaker once again called the Jockeys and their steeds to the starting line.

"Looks like it's show time," Ranth grinned awkwardly, rubbing Layle's head again as he mounted up onto Won, "Cheer for us okay?" Ranth picked up his chocobo's reigns and led him out of the stables.

"We should go find some seats," Lyra huffed and tugged Layle along behind her. Layle stood on his tip toes, straining to get one last glimpse of his feathered friend as Jockey and Chocobo rode towards the racetrack.

* * *

The crowd roared and cheered loudly as the first of the contenders reached the starting line. Lyra gripped Layle's hand tighter as a surge of spectators moved towards the front, each vying for the best view of the racetrack. She was struggling between keeping a hold of Layle's hand and looking for a place to sit when she felt a tug on the strap that attached her gil purse to her belt. She instantly reached for her purse, but found only empty air in its place and the strap cleanly cut. She quickly turned around – scanning the crowd in vain for the culprit. Shock turned to dread as she remembered that her purse held not just her gil, but their train passes. Without them, Lyra and Layle wouldn't be able to ride the return train to Denthe.

"Layle, quick, we have to-" Lyra turned around to find her son missing – she had let go of his hand in her panic. She searched the crowd around her wildly, calling out her son's name, but it was no use - Layle was long gone.

* * *

"Jeez, not again, this one's practically empty too," Keiss shook his head, "Clavats! They're all so dirt poor I don't know how they could afford to attend the race in the first place." The red-headed Selkie cursed his bad luck as he stashed the purse beneath his oversized blue and green bandanna with the two he'd already stolen. "Three wallets and I barely have anything to show for it! I'll never prove myself to that fat bastard at this rate…"

He muttered angrily as he scanned the area for a new mark - hopefully one with more cash than the last one. "If I don't get 1,000 gil I'll never hear the end of it…" As usual he'd gotten into another fight with his father, Guild Master Vaigali, and made a ridiculous bet with his old man in the heat of the moment. "It was his fault though," Keiss huffed, "I'm plenty old enough to take on Guild missions! I'll be ten next week! When I get 1,000 gil he has to stop treating me like a little baby!" Keiss nodded to himself, determined to reach his goal no matter what.

A sudden, huge gasp from the crowd caught Keiss' attention. Onlookers whispered excitedly and pointed towards the track. Murmurs of excitement and criticism rose from the people around him.

"That shouldn't be allowed…." One man whispered to his friend.

"Isn't that cheating?" muttered another.

"Momma, look! It's so pretty!" A little girl squealed to his right.

Keiss turned towards the track to see what all the fuss was about but couldn't see over the heads of the people in front. "H-hey! Outta the way, I can't see!" He struggled to wiggle through the crowd gathered around the guard rail, finally managing to break through the throng and make his way to the front. Another kid was there, a Clavat, staring intently towards the track with a huge, stupid grin plastered all over his face. Keiss followed his gaze and finally saw what everybody was looking at.

A gorgeous golden chocobo was strutting towards the starting line, Lilty jockey on its back, and acting for all the world like it owned the place. Keiss couldn't blame it, the bird was amazing. It strode confidently across the track, its feathers reflecting the sunlight and casting scintillating reflections all around it; several of the other jockeys covered their eyes to protect themselves from the bright light.

"Now taking his place at the starting line – it's 'Wonder Bird!' The incredible golden chocobo!" a male announcer read off the bird's name as it took its place in line with the others. "Next in line-" the announcer continued as the surprised crowd began to calm down a bit.

"'Wonder Bird?'" Keiss scoffed, adjusting his bandanna back up to his forehead as it moved down over his eyes, "What a silly stage name."

The blond boy next to him turned towards him, "It's not silly! That's Won!"

"That's a what?" Keiss asked, confused. Who was this kid?

"He's Won!" the blond asserted, "He's mine! I hatched him!"

Keiss stared at the boy incredulously, "_Yours?_ _That_ chocobo?" He laughed loudly and held his sides in mirth, "That's a good one, kid!"

"I'm not a kid!" the Clavat boy stomped his foot on the ground angrily, "and he is too!"

"Nice try," Keiss wiped a tear from his eye, "There's no way a kid like you could afford to buy a chocobo like that."

"I told you, I hatched him!" the younger boy shouted, "Me and Lyra raised him! – and his_ name_ is _Won!_"

The Selkie folded his arms, a smug smirk on his face, "Oh yeah? Prove it then."

"_Fine _then, I will," the Clavat glared daggers at the older boy then leaned over the rail and shouted as loud as he could, "Wooooooon!" The chocobo did a one-eighty and stared straight at the two boys, chirping several loud 'kwehs' in response. The Lilty Jockey seemed to have a hard time convincing the bird to turn around and get back into formation again.

"It looked right at us…" Keiss stared in surprise.

"I told you so, stupid!" the boy stuck his tongue out at the Selkie.

"All right, all right, whatever; give it a rest will ya? Get your tongue back in your mouth before you lose it," Keiss threatened – fine, so the kid wasn't lying, that didn't mean he'd admit he was wrong to the brat. "How did it even hear you in all this noise?" Keiss gestured at the roaring crowd around them.

"Lyra says that chocobos have really good hearing, 'cuz they can hear you call for greens from miles away!" the blond turned back towards the track and started grinning like a Cheshire Coeurl again, "He's gonna win the race for sure!"

"You don't know that for sure," Keiss replied, "He could lose too, you know."

"He'd _never_ lose!" the boy shouted indignantly.

Keiss shrugged and watched as the other contenders lined up, he recognized a few, since he often came here with Chime when he and his father did 'business' with her father at his tavern. He started when he recognized the last racer, a shorter than average Lilty atop a scruffy looking chocobo that looked – and probably smelled – like it'd been months this its last bath. The Selkie smirked devilishly then leaned down until he was at the smaller boy's eye level, "Oh yeah? You sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure, stupid!" the boy shot back.

"Then how about we make a little wager?" Keiss suggested, smiling, "If your bird loses, then you give him to me."

"and when he wins?" the boy stated confidently.

"_If_ he wins," Keiss corrected, "then I give you all the gil I've got on me." The Selkie snickered to himself, this was perfect, Clavats didn't know the value of anything, if the bird lost, then he could sell it for a hundred times more than 1,000 gil, and by some miracle it won, then he'd just take off – the little brat would never be able to catch him. Keiss rubbed his hands together, already imagining the stunned look on Vaigali's face. _"It all hinges on that last rider…" _Keiss thought to himself. "What do you say, kid?" Keiss spat on his hand and held it out to the Clavat.

The small boy mulled it over for a moment, cocking his head from side to side a few times before finally nodding to himself and repeating Keiss' gesture – There was no way Won could lose.

"Then we've got a deal!" Keiss tried hard to contain his glee. This stupid kid was going to make him rich. The signal pistol sounded into the air, drawing their attention back to the track. The chocobos that had lined up at the starting line took off down the raceway – the race had finally begun.

* * *

"You ready buddy?" Ranth patted Won's sides reassuringly, after he had calmed the chocobo down. Won seemed nervous; it _was_ his first race after all. Ranth hoped all those months of training during the off season would pay off. He mentally groaned as Noah Todd rode up beside him.

"Ready to eat our dust?" Noah leered at Ranth as he and his chocobo took their spot at the starting line. His chocobo clicked it's tongue nervously and shuffled in place, "Be still!" Noah shouted and kicked it's side with his spurred heels. Ranth looked at the other man with disgust, most jockeys had long since stopped using heel spurs; viewing them as cruel devices. Noah, however, didn't seem to care about the well-being of his mount.

"Not a chance," Ranth tightened his grip on Won's reins. There was no way he was letting Noah win the race – none.

"I want a clean race," The Officium shouted over the din of the crowd. "I'm sure you all know the rules: each flag is worth one point," he nodded towards the race track, which was dotted with numerous small red flags. "The first to reach twenty points and cross the finish line will win the race! Ready?" The jockeys all nodded in unison.

"On your marks," the riders tensed as the gate in front of the starting line lit up and the Officium raised a handgun into the air above his head. The crowd seemed to hold it's breath in anticipation. "Get set!"

Ranth focused his attention on the first red flag in his line of vision and patted Won's side calmingly, "Easy boy," he whispered, "That's our first target." Won kwehed softly in return.

"Race!" The Officium shouted, firing the handgun into the air - its sound echoed throughout the stadium like thunder. The spectators paused in shocked silence for a split second, then erupted into a mass of shouts and cheers as the chocobos instantly took off down the racetrack, their cries echoing far louder than the sound of the starting signal.

Won was in the lead. The golden chocobo was well ahead of the others, giving rider and steed ample slack to collect flags. Ranth steadied himself on Won's back, timing the rhythm of the chocobo's strides to collect flags without missing. There was a reason Ranth Liett had been Chocobo Circuit's champion for three years running, and that was because of his ability to synchronize with his bird and nab flags the first time – without having to go back for a second try.

Ranth was thankful he had trained with Won well in advance of the race, the golden chocobo was _fast._ So fast in fact that he had a hard time during the off season learning to control Won without crashing the both of them into a wall. Often times he would be able to snag a flag while moving at top speed only to slam into a barrier and sometimes he missed the flag completely then still crashed. It taken many months of blood, sweat, and tears to adapt himself to the way his chocobo moved and now he was showing off his skills as a first rate jockey in style.

Ranth had already gathered fifteen flags and was far ahead of the other racers who were still on their seventh or eighth flags. "Looks like it's in the bag buddy," he slowed Won's pace and nabbed his sixteenth flag, tying it to his sash with the others. He didn't want to completely annihilate his competition after all. "Looks like Noah was all talk, as usual," Ranth thought just as Noah Todd's chocobo dashed in front of them. The mangy bird almost collided with Won and knocked them over the edge of the ruins.

"Damnit Todd!" Ranth shouted angrily, his patience with the other man wearing thin, "Watch where you're going, are you trying to kill us?" That was when he noticed something odd. Noah's Chocobo was moving faster than the others – almost as fast as Won, "What the… " Then he noticed the many brightly colored red ribbons on Noah's sash – which outnumbered his own.

"When did he-," Ranth stared in shock, almost losing control of Won. The golden chocobo glanced back at his rider worriedly. "Come on, Won," Ranth pulled the reigns and made for his next flag with determination, "We're not beaten yet."

One, two, three more flags. Ranth didn't dare to sneak a glance at the other Lilty and his mount; he couldn't afford to break his concentration for a single second as he pushed Won harder than he ever had during their off season practices. The crowd ate it up, roaring their approval at the fierce contest between the two riders. Ranth didn't notice it though, all he noticed was the strong, rhythmic strides of his chocobo, the feeling of the silken flags as they gave way and came into his hand, the sound of Won's heavy breathing, and the sound of his own heart – each beat ringing louder and louder in his ears.

Finally, the last flag - next was the finish line. Ranth turned Won towards the goal and urged him on even faster – the world sped by in a flash of light and color. The only thing Ranth could see clearly was Noah Todd, riding for the finish line just ahead of them. If only they could catch up, faster – faster – _faster._ Won sped ever onward and began closing in on their opponents.

Noah Todd noticed, and dug his spurs into his chocobo's sides, earning both a cry of pain from the bird and a sudden increase in speed. The two birds dashed towards the finish, Won gaining with every stride, until he had caught up to Noah's chocobo. Ranth barely had the time to register the shock and rage on Noah's face as he realized they had regained their lost lead before Won sped past him. Noah shouted incoherently and spurred his bird on once again. The two birds were neck and neck as they approached the finish line.

All Ranth could remember was silence, then a sudden surge of clamorous, ear-splitting cheers. The race was over.

* * *

The crowd was in frenzy. A thousand questions and exclamations shot through the spectators like lightning.

"Who won?"

"Did you see it?"

"What happened?"

"It was too close to call."

The Din was unbearable, it was too much for Lyra, who was already suffering from a headache – or rather she was looking for her headache. "Layle! Layle!" Lyra tried to shout over the boisterous throng, to no avail. She watched as one of the press members tried to break through the crowd.

"Excuse me – Pardon me – UMA News reporter coming through!" The slight man could barely make his way through the ecstatic onlookers when he was knocked unceremoniously onto his rear.

Lyra paused her search to help the man, who was really little more than a boy, to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine," the teenager dusted himself off, "Bunch of hooligans, what happened to respect for the press, I swear…"

Lyra looked the young Clavat man up and down, his red jacket was patched and disheveled, and his checkered pants long faded and covered with dust – or perhaps dirt. "Are you really part of the press?" a knowing smile crept onto Lyra's face when she spotted his press badge, which was no more than a piece of paper with "press" scribbled on it in Old Clavatian.

The young man looked irritated then checked his camera's lens for dust. "Of course I am!" He exclaimed. "Well," he looked back at Lrya guiltily, "I sort of am…. I'm currently the only one in my UMA News Corp…."

"Oh really?" Lyra asked, amused.

"But UMA News is gonna be huge one day!" the boy went on, "I guarantee it! Reporter Gurdy leaves no stone unturned!"

"My, my," Lyra stifled a laugh, "Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, young man."

"Yes ma'am," Gurdy replied, saluting, "I'll be all right though, because I'm going to get an insider interview with the winner of the race, yessirree! It'll be my big break!"

Lyra couldn't help but laugh at the young man's enthusiasm, "Well, Mr. Reporter, you haven't by chance seen a little boy nearby? About six years old, blond hair, blue eyes, and wearing a yellow shirt with overalls?"

Gurdy was thoughtful for a moment, "Mmmmm nope, can't say that I have. Why? Is he missing? Was he kidnapped?" The reporter's eyes gleamed at the thought of a potential news scoop.

Lyra waved away his questions, "I just lost sight of him in this crowd, do you think you could help me search for him?"

"Sorry ma'am," Gurdy commented guiltily, "but my story awaits, I don't have time for search and rescue missions!"

"I can promise you a story if you help me find him," Lyra replied, "An exclusive interview with the owner of the golden chocobo."

Gurdy's ears pricked up at the mention of the Illustrious Ranth Liett and his newfound steed, 'Wonder Bird.' "What makes you say that?" He pried, "You can really get me an interview?"

Lyra nodded, "Ranth is a former client of mine, if you help me find my son, I'll make sure you get your interview."

"You've got a deal!" Gurdy exclaimed excitedly. The teenager immediately began scanning the crowd for a boy matching Layle's description. "What does your son like? I mean, is there anywhere around here you think he'd run off to? What sort of things does he like?"

Lyra shook her head, "that's just the thing; he's never run off in a strange place like this before. Back in Denthe he can wander around to his heart's content, but I've always taught him to stay close in crowded places… If he wasn't so excited about Won- _that's it,"_ Lyra exclaimed.

"What is?" Gurdy asked.

"He'll go to where Won is!" Lyra began shoving her way through the crowd towards the winner's circle and she hoped towards Layle, earning several loud complaints from the people she pushed aside.

"But what's a Won?" Gurdy questioned as he followed in Lyra's wake of angy spectators.

* * *

"Ah, great," Keiss groaned, "Now we gotta wait for the results."

"I already told you, Won won," the Clavat boy repeated firmly, hands on his hips.

"And _I_ told _you_," Keiss retorted, "that it was too close to call." The Selkie child inwardly fumed, he had expected a close race, but not_ that_ close. He could feel his hopes of winning the bet dwindling like the fuzz of a moogle's pom pom on a rainy day. "How can you have so much faith in that bird anyway?"

The boy paused for a moment, "Because Won is Won! He'll always win because he's different, like me!" He nodded in certainty.

Keiss was about to ask him what he meant when the crowd started getting excited again.

"Hey, I think they're done reviewing the footage," Keiss and the boy leaned as far over the railing as they dared while they waited for the Officium to announce the results.

The plump Lilty man in the striped jerkin hopped up onto a tiny platform, microphone in hand. "I am sorry for the delay. Now, for the news you've all been waiting for!" The spectators roared their approval. Keiss was tempted to cover his ears, but then he wouldn't hear the results.

The Officium waited until the din had settled a bit before continuing, "The winner of the First Annual Chocobo Circuit Grand Prix is-"

* * *

The noise from the spectators was unbearable as Lyra and Gurdy wiggled their way into the winner's circle only to find Ranth Liett staring at the scoreboard in shock. "I, I can't believe it…."

Lyra looked up at the board. It read:

Winner: Noah Todd.

* * *

Keiss jumped up and down in glee, "_Ha!_ You see? I told you so! I won! I won!"

The boy on the other hand, looked like he was about to cry, "It's got to be a mistake," he murmured, "Won can't lose… he_ can't_…"

"The only mistake here was that you made that bet with me," Keiss sneered, "Too bad your you and your little Wonder Bird." Kiess grinned at the other boy, but almost choked up when he saw the tears forming in the other's eyes –_ almost. _Any remorse the Selkie felt was quickly driven out by the thought of Vaigali eating his own words. "Come on, let's go," Keiss grabbed the Clavat by the back of his suspenders then hoisted him off of the ground and over his back like a sack of gourd potatoes.

"P-put me down!" The boy demanded.

"Not a chance," Keiss laughed, "I've got to pick up my prize." With that, the Selkie carried the Clavat off towards the winner's circle, counting his lucky stars all the while.

* * *

"Something's not right," Ranth Liett spoke in hushed tones to Lyra as Noah Todd accepted his prize and a wreath was hung over his panting chocobo's neck. "That chocobo was never that fast before. Something's off…" Won kwehed quietly and nudged Ranth's arm with his beak, "Sorry buddy, looks like I got too confident and let you down."

"That's not true!" Lyra spoke up, "I agree with you, something does not sit right with that man." She glared daggers at Noah Todd, who returned the favor with a few sneers in Ranth's direction.

"Sorry Layl-" Ranth began, then realized the young boy wasn't with Lyra, "Where's Layle?"

"I was hoping you knew," Lyra sighed, "I lost him in the crowd, I don't know where he is…" She didn't tell him she had also lost her wallet with their train tickets too.

"We need to go find him then!" Ranth hopped to his feet.

"No, no, I think if we stay with Won, he'll come here to us," Lyra grabbed his arm before he could run off in search of the Clavat boy. "He's been talking non-stop about that chocobo, he'll come here to see him for sure. In the meantime I'll help you unsaddle Won, okay?"

Ranth glanced over at Noah, who was obviously enjoying his new place in the spotlight, and sighed, "You're probably right."

"Ooo, I do believe I sense a scoop here!" Gurdy pointed his camera at Noah and took several photos.

"Who's this?" Ranth asked Lyra.

"A wannabe reporter," Lyra laughed, "I promised him an interview with you if he helped me look for Layle."

Ranth sighed, "You could have asked first…"

"It was an emergency," Lyra smiled apologetically, "Besides, I knew you wouldn't mind."

"Hey! Watch it kid!" Gurdy shouted as a Selkie boy dashed underneath his legs and into the winner's circle. Shouts of surprise from those in the winner's circle caused Lyra and Ranth to look over to see what the ruckus was about. It took a moment for them to register the Selkie boy who'd invaded the winner's circle and notice that he was carrying a familiar blond haired Clavat on his back.

"Layle!" Lyra shouted angrily as she tackled both boys to the ground. The small group of nobles in the circle gasped in surprise. "You're not getting away!" Keiss groaned on the ground as Lyra grabbed Layle by his shirt and hoisted him up into her arms.

"M-mom?" Layle said groggily before recovering from being tossed about. "H-hey, put me down!"

"I'm not putting you anywhere except on a train back home!" Lyra shouted in rage, "Do you know what I've been through looking for you!"

"No, you gotta put me down, I have to see Won!" Layle shouted and tried to squirm out of Lyra's grasp.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you've been running around doing all this time!" Lyra fought against her wiggling son but felt him slipping out of her grasp again.

"It can't be true!" Layle stopped squirming, tears streaming down his face, "Won didn't lose! He _can't!" _Lyra was taken aback for a moment, then set him down on the ground with her hands firmly on his shoulders.

"He did lose," she replied.

"No he didn't!" Layle shouted.

"He did," Lyra said softly, "See that man there?" She pointed to Noah Todd, who – like all the other people in the winner's circle – was watching the little drama unfold, albeit with a snide smirk on his face, "he won the race."  
"you mean that mean guy won?" Layle cried in dismay.

"That's right," Lyra nodded.

"But that's not fai-," Layle was cut off by Keiss as he peeked over Lyra's shoulder.

"I hate to interrupt, Lady – well actually I don't care – but I'll be taking the chocobo now!"

"Excuse me?" Lyra snapped, irritated by being interrupted in the middle of a lecture.

"The chocobo," Keiss pointed to Won with a huge grin plastered on his face, "I won him in the bet!"

Lyra glared daggers at Layle, "What did you do?"

Layle shyed away from her gaze, "I kinda… made a bet…"

Lyra rubbed her temples in frustration, "It's just one thing after another…" She turned to Keiss but was interrupted again, this time by Ranth Liett.

"I'll handle this one," he assured her before turning to Keiss, "You say you won him in a bet?"

Keiss nodded.

"I'm sorry, but the thing is, that chocobo was never his to bet to begin with, Won belongs to me, I bought him from those two three months ago," Ranth explained.

Keiss' expression turned from confusion, to shock, then to rage, "You idiot!" he shouted at Layle, "You said he was yours!"

"He is! I hatched him!" Layle shot back, sticking out his tongue at the older boy.

"That doesn't make him yours! All that hard work I did stealing wallets for nothing, then this!" Keiss groaned in frustration, "That idiot loser never should have cheated and just lost the race! It would have saved me the trouble of coming all the way down here!"

A silence hung over the group as Keiss' last sentence sunk in. Then all eyes turned to Noah Todd, who shuffled in place nervously. Beads of sweat were visible on the Lilty's forehead and his voice cracked with every word. "_What?_ What are you all looking at?" Noah narrowed his eyes, "Are you insinuating that _I_ would _cheat_?"

"It wouldn't be the first time, Noah," The Officium stated flatly, "I assume you won't mind if we search your stables?"

"Go right ahead," Noah smirked, "You won't find anything."

"Because he's got it in his pocket!" Keiss shouted over the group. The Lilty man glared at the Selkie boy and suddenly made a mad dash for his chocobo.

"Don't let him escape!" The Officium shouted, and together with two Lilty guardsmen, he managed to keep Noah from riding off on his chocobo. The Plump Lilty checked Noah's pockets, and sure enough – star carrots; and a lot of them.

* * *

After another hour of deliberation and an apology to the arena full of spectators, the Officium renounced his previous ruling and declared Ranth Liett and Wonder Bird the winners due to "extraordinary circumstances."

"I don't see why they don't just tell the truth about that lying cheat," Lyra fumed.

Ranth smiled, "There's no way to prove he actually fed the star carrots to his chocobo, but it was enough evidence to put his win under suspicion. We can at least be glad of that."

"I suppose so…. But it still makes me so angry!" Lyra exclaimed, "Even more so when I had to go looking all over for Layle…." Lyra stared at Layle and Keiss, who had climbed on top of Won and where prancing around the winner's circle. She couldn't help but smile as Layle knocked the wreath off of Won with his foot and the Lilty guards who picked it up from the ground started chasing after the three of them and trying to put it back on. Won, who must have thought it great fun, trotted away from the guards whenever they approached, to the delight of the squealing boys riding the chocobo.

"Well you can be sure I will certainly be making it my front page story!" Gurdy beamed. "I'll be expecting that interview with you later sir?" he looked at Ranth, who nodded. "Well then, I'll be off!" Gurdy grinned and trotted off, looking through his camera lens as he went. Lyra couldn't help but laugh when he tripped over his own laces.

"There's something wrong with that boy," She giggled.

Ranth smiled, "You never know, they say that Clavats are destined to change the world. Maybe one day his UMA News will spread all over the world. I'll wish him luck."

"He'll need it," Lyra laughed.

The crowded stadium had started to disperse after the excitement of the day, though many still lingered; anticipating and dreading the traffic that would be crowding the road to Alfitaria and Grassland Central Station. Lyra called over to Won, who gave up his game of teasing the guards and trotted up to her when she called. She gently lifted the two boys off of the chocobo and onto the ground. "All right, you've had your fun, it's time to say goodbye."

"Already?" Layle asked.

"I'm sure Ranth wants to put Won down to rest, he's had a busy day – I'm sure he's tired." Lyra spoke carefully.

"But I don't want to leave yet!" Layle cried.

"Don't be such a baby," Keiss teased, "Just come back for another race."

"Can we?" Layle's eyes pleaded with Lyra.

Lyra sighed deeply, she could never resist Layle when he pleaded with her with those_ eyes. _"Maybe, _but_," She warned, "Only if you promise to behave yourself next time." She could only thank the crystal that Layle's powers didn't spiral out of control that day.

"Leaving already?" Ranth asked as he loosened the saddle straps from Won's underside.

"We should, yes, but-," Lyra sighed, there was no choice, "My wallet was stolen, and our train tickets were inside, without those…"

"You know I don't mind buying you some tickets," Ranth commented sternly, "You should have let me buy you those tickets in the first place, but you're always so stubborn…"

"I won't accept charity," Lyra huffed.

"It's not charity, it's a gift between friends," Ranth grumbled, "Seriously, and how long have I known you anyway? Since my days as a Cavalry Knight?"

Lyra laughed, "Wow that long huh? That was _ages_ ago."

"Don't laugh, I'm not that old," Ranth grinned.

Layle cocked his head in thought again, "Wait a second." He pointed to Keiss, "You!"

Keiss folded his arms across his chest and sneered at Layle, "Yeah, me, what of it?"

"Won really did win!" Layle exclaimed, "That means I won the bet!"

Keiss' face fell, he had been hoping the Clavat would forget about that.

Layle bounced on his heels over to the Selkie boy, "Now you gotta give me all your gil!"

"Now Lay-," Lyra was about to protest, but was once again stopped by Ranth Liett, who just grinned and pointed back at the boys.

"It doesn't count since you weren't supposed to bet the chocobo," Keiss replied as he tried to weasel his way out of it.

Layle wasn't fooled, "You're the one who made the bet." He crossed his arms and waited.

"Look kid," Keiss began, "You made a bad bet, it doesn't count anymore."

"You shook on it!" Layle shouted angrily.

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'Never trust a Selkie?'" Keiss laughed and backed off, "See ya 'round kid."

"Hey! Get back here!" Layle shouted as he tackled Keiss to the ground before he could get away. "You shook on it!" He shouted again. The two boys grappled on the ground, in a mass of hitting, biting, and kicking.

"Stupid Clavat brat! Gerroff!" Keiss gave Layle a solid 'thwack' to the head.

"Ow! Not until you gimme my gil, stupid!" Layle shouted and started pulling Keiss' hair.

"Hey! Don't touch my bandanna!" Keiss yelled and punched Layle in the face.

"I don't care about your stupid bandanna, stupid!" to prove his point, Layle reached up and yanked the bandanna off of Keiss' head.

"No! Give it back!" Keiss roared, completely forgetting about the three gil purses he had stashed under his bandanna. "I mean it! Give it back now!"

"Why do you have three wallets?" Layle asked, then spotted the blue one next to Keiss' foot, "and hey! That' one's Lyra's! You stole it?"

"Yeah, what of it, Clavat brat?" Keiss shouted, angry that the younger boy still held his bandanna. This only started the conflict anew as the two boys restarted their skirmish.

"Enough!" Lyra bellowed and stood up then walked over to Keiss, holding out her hand expectantly. Keiss reluctantly picked it up and handed her blue gil purse to her. Both boys shuffled nervously in front of her. "Now what do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Good," Lyra huffed, arms folded. "Now off with you!" She shooed Keiss away from the winner's circle, "and don't let me catch you near me or my son again, you little thief!" Keiss grabbed his bandanna from Layle and took off running. The Chestnut haired woman sighed deeply before picking up the other two wallets that Keiss had dropped – she'd leave them in lost and found on her way out. "Well then, that's enough of that nonsense. Come on Layle, it's time to go." She grabbed Layle's hand and held it firmly; he wasn't getting away this time. "Sorry for the trouble Ranth, congratulations on winning the race."

"Thank you," Ranth was trying to contain his laughter, "Have a safe trip home."

Layle rubbed his left eye; Lyra could already tell he would have a nice shiner in the morning. "Bye Won! I'll come back to see you race again!" The chocobo walked over and gave Layle's hair one last good preening.

Lyra sighed, "It'll be a while before I try this again." She gestured to his bruises, "Maybe when he's older…" She rubbed her temples in resignation. She knew now that Layle had seen a race; he wouldn't stop pestering her until they came back again.

"Ah, let him come back again soon," Ranth laughed, "I haven't had this much entertainment in years." Lyra rolled her eyes and waved before leaving with Layle for the train station.

* * *

Keiss cursed his bad luck, not only did he lose the race; he lost all of the gil he had stolen too! "Stupid backwater Clavats – what am I gonna tell Vaigali now? I can't go home looking like this…" he gingerly touched his bleeding lip and discovered his nose was bleeding as well. "Perfect…" Keiss groaned and flopped onto his back on the cool stone ground. "I guess there's always next year…" He sighed. "I never did get that brat's name…"

* * *

Keiss tried to pry the photo's frame from the case but it, just like everything else in the house, held firm. "Great Crystal, is there anything in this house that isn't nailed to the floor?" The Selkie leaned in closer to the photo to examine it, a group of people – he recognized Lyra and a little Layle – along with some Lilty guy he didn't know, were gathered together holding a trophy at chocobo circuit, in the winner's circle. A chocobo poked it's head in over the group. Keiss tried to make out more of the photo, but the rest was too blurry and faded with age to make out. Still, there was something oddly familiar about it, but Keiss couldn't quite decide why. It just gave him a weird feeling of déjà vu.

Next to the photo was a copy of the very first issue of the UMA News, which was worth a pretty hefty amount of gil nowadays. For a moment, Keiss wondered just how much he could get for it and considered swiping it, but thought better of it. A noise from the hallway interrupted his thoughts and made him look up from the case.

Layle groaned and held his head, peering around the door to the quaint living room, "Keiss!... If you don't stop…. snooping….. around our house…. I s-swear I'll kill you myself then…. feed you to the chocobos!"

Keiss quickly turned away from the trophy case he'd been looking at and casually pretended he hadn't been looking at it. He didn't expect Layle to buy it, and he didn't. "S-stop messing around…. With that stuff…" Layle stammered.

"What are you doing up, Layle? I thought Lyra told you to eat your greens," Keiss jeered.

"Mm-not… eating that… crap…." Layle shrugged off the Selkie.

"Yes you are," Keiss grabbed Layle by the shoulders and turned him back around towards the kitchen.

"No I'm not!" Layle argued.

"Yes you are!" Keiss laughed.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Say what you want, but you're eating it."

"Shut up, Keiss."

"I Love you too Layle."


	2. Bandanna

**A/N:** So this is supposed to be a sort-of-sequel to my story "Are We There Yet?" but I am totally ignoring the fact that Keiss had his bandanna in that story. So just pretend he never had it, okay? Okay. *laughs*

This is yet another story that ties in with Draggy2013's story, "The Crystal Rule," If you haven't read it, you should seriously go do so, like right now, before you read mine. I'm serious. **This story does contain spoilers for 'The Crystal Rule' **so if you haven't read it, and are planning on reading it, I suggest your read TCR before you read this short story.

On another note: I've drawn a LOT of fanart for this story and for TCR so check out my profile for links to my art sites if you're interested. Also, this is only my second fanfiction so be gentle with the reviews, ya?

Now, without further ado, let's get started!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and all affiliated characters are owned by Square-Enix. I make no profit by these stories, they are just for fun.

* * *

**Summary:** When Keiss returns to the Selkie Guild empty-handed after making a bet with Guild Master Vigali, he must own up to his mistakes.

**Characters: **Vailgali/OC; Keiss; Belle; OCs

**Pairings:** none

**Warnings: **None

**Ties into:** "Are We There Yet?" and Draggy 2013's "The Crystal Rule"

* * *

**Bandanna**

* * *

Keiss sighed deeply, "The old man isn't gonna be happy about this, no siree…" He winced as he gingerly touched the edges of the large bruise forming over his left eye. "That kid was pretty tough - for a Clavat." Thinking about it made Keiss mad all over again. Keiss sighed, well; at least it had been an interesting chocobo race, even if he didn't manage to gather the 1,000 gil for his wager with Vigali, if only that Clavat brat hadn't been there, "I never did get his name, the dumb kid cost me all my hard earned gil too… though it's not like I had enough to win the wager anyway…" The red headed Selkie Keiss leaned on the armrest of his seat and stared out at the passing scenery. The Selkie train was headed from the Capital of Alfitaria to Costa Faguita, home of the Selkie Guild.

The Guild had been run by Vigali for as long as Keiss could remember. In fact – Vigali had created the Guild when the Izmayel had run aground, just after Keiss was born, or so everyone at the Guild said. Keiss had only ever heard the whole story once, when he'd asked Vigali how he was born. Keiss' mother had died when she gave birth to him, so he'd never met her, though he had a portrait of her in his room. Keiss frowned, it wasn't that not having a mother bothered him, no, what_ really_ drove him crazy was that Vigali wouldn't let him do anything on his own.

Keiss sighed again, remembering his argument with Vigali the day before. Keiss had gotten fed up with not being allowed to go on guild missions. He was almost ten! Even Nadeen had been allowed to take guild missions when she was eight! So why shouldn't he be able to? Vigali, though, was convinced otherwise. Keiss looked up from his seat as the train pulled into the station.

"Looks like it's time to face the music…." Keiss rubbed his hand through his hair distractedly as he exited the train and stepped out into the tropical sun - home, sweet home.

* * *

Guild Master Vigali sat at his desk, shuffling through Guild requests and other documents absentmindedly; unable to focus on the work he had in front of him. He glanced up at a portrait of a green-haired woman and fingered the blue and green patterned bandanna tied to his forearm. He sighed deeply, not that the great Guild Master would ever admit to being worried. He got up from his desk and walked over to the portrait to look at it more closely. Those same dark green eyes stared back at him so lifelike, as though if he wished hard enough, she would step out from the portrait alive and well again.

He rubbed his temples wearily; he always got fidgety when the anniversary closed in. How many years had it been now? He'd thrown himself into creating the Guild, and it was finally starting to reap the benefits he'd sown, but it was still young – if he weren't around, it would crumble easily. He snorted - all the more reason to keep the younger Guild members in line. His thoughts wandered back to Keiss.

The boy was growing more independent. Soon Vigali wouldn't be able to stop him from venturing away from the Guild and into danger. It didn't help matters when the boy had the worst luck of any Selkie he'd ever seen. Vigali frowned, and now Keiss wanted to go out on Guild missions.

"He'll never be able to steal 1,000 gil," Vigali nodded firmly to assure himself, then looked back to the portrait solemnly, "Right, Kei?" His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "It's Open," he shouted gruffly, miffed at being disturbed.

A slender woman strode confidently into the room, gracefully making her way to stand in front of the Guild Master's desk, which she turned and sat upon, "He's back."

"Milka," Vigali sat down in his chair, "So how did it go?"

"Please," Milka huffed irritably, "Exactly like I told you it would, Tailing Keiss is child's play – _Nadeen_ could have done it."

"Your report?" Vigali said, this time more firmly than he had intended.

Milka made a face, but continued on, "The Chocobo race certainly held a few… _surprises_ for Keiss. Ones he wasn't prepared for. Honestly I wasn't quite prepared for them either, but it was quite entertaining to watch."

Vigali smirked, "Oh? What surprises where those?"

Milka crossed her legs, graceful as ever, and looked at the Guild Master over her shoulder, "You'll see when he comes home." The corners of her mouth curved upwards in a rare, amused smile.

"More importantly, did he succeed?" Vigali asked.

"Did you honestly think he would?" She replied.

Vigali smiled in satisfaction.

"You know, I think you should reconsider your options," Milka voiced as she hopped down from Vigali's desk.

"Are you saying I should let him participate in missions?" Vigali growled.

"All I'm saying," Milka replied calmly, "Is that you should think about what's best for Keiss."

"I _know_ what's best for him!' Vigali shouted.

Milka shrugged, "Well, that's your opinon as his father, I suppose, but don't forget, he had a mother too – and I don't think she'd approve of you keeping him trapped at the Guild."

Vigali was about to protest when Milka made for the door, "Just food for thought." She waved as she left, "Keiss is probably dragging his feet on his way in here, so you've got time to think about it."

Vilagi stood silently and watched her leave, only sinking into his chair when the Selkie woman had gone. He sighed and looked up at Kei Nam's picture again. "What would you do, Kei?" He asked himself as he untied the blue bandanna from his arm and held it in his hands.

* * *

"Keiss!"

Keiss looked over his shoulder to see who was calling him and was promptly tackled to the ground by a small, but sturdy, Selkie girl.

"Ow… Belle!" Keiss shouted irritably as he tried to pry the self-proclaimed almost-three-and-a-half-year-old off of his waist. "Get off!"

"Keiss, you said you'd pway with me today!" Belle lisped, poking her thumb into her mouth and sucking on it.

"Not now, come on, leggo…" Keiss shouted in dismay.

"Got you again, did she?" another girl laughed to his right.

"It's not funny Nadeen," Keiss snapped, "Now help me get her off - I'm not in the mood."

Nadeen clucked her tongue, "Now now, that's no way to treat a child, Keiss, she's barely more than a toddler, for shame."

"Aren't' you supposed to be looking out for her when her mom's away?" Keiss replied, finally managing to wiggle free of Belle's sticky grasp. The toddler immediately climbed onto his back, grinning all the while.

"Yeah, but she saw you and wanted to say hello – taken such a liking to you," Nadeen smiled, "Nice shiner by the way."

Keiss huffed and crossed his arms, "Shouldn't you be back in Lueda by now? You've been here for like two weeks already."

"No, my folks are still helping Belle's mom get settled into a Luedan Guild position," Nadeen replied, "She's new to the Guild, and they want to make sure she can handle the job. Until then, me and Belle get to spend the summer here at Guild Headquarters." Nadeen didn't mention that she had been tasked with watching over Belle because her parents wanted the toddler to get away from her mother for a while. Something about gil problems and not wanting Belle to get hurt? Nadeen didn't really understand it, but she'd been told not to tell anyone, not even Keiss.

"Great, I'm stuck with you two all summer…" Keiss groaned.

"It's not so bad is it?" Nadeen laughed, "You get two pretty girls all to yourself the whole summer, right, Belle?"

Belle pulled her thumb out of her mouth long enough to raise her hand and shout, "Right!" enthusiastically.

"Yeah, no thanks," Keiss groaned, "Besides, I've got to go and see Vigali now…"

"Not again. What did you do _this_ time?" Nadeen asked.

Keiss hunched over in resignation, Belle reached up and pulled at his hair clips, "I made a bet I shouldn't have… wait make that _two_ bets…." Keiss reached around and grabbed Belle, pulling her into his lap while she continued to fuss with his hair clips.

Nadeen sat down cross-legged next to him, "Yeah? That fight you had with your dad yesterday, right?"

Keiss nodded.

"I take it you lost?" Nadeen voiced.

Keiss nodded again.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Nadeen grinned.

"Easy for you to say!" Keiss snapped, "You get to go on Guild Missions while I sit here a prisoner In my own home!"

"Okay, Okay," Nadeen held her hands up in surrender, "no need to get all worked up." She held her arms out to Belle, who allowed Nadeen to take her from Keiss.

"Sorry, I'm just not looking forward to going in there empty handed," Keiss sighed.

Nadeen staggered a little as she helped Belle onto her back, piggy-back style, "Sorry Keiss, I can't help you there."

"I know," Keiss got to his feet and dusted off the back of his pants, "I might as well get this over with…"

"Good luck, Keiss," Nadeen smiled apologetically, "Don't die in there."

Keiss smiled, "I'll try not to."

"Good luck!" Belle hollered, mimicking Nadeen, "Don't die!"

"Thanks, Belle," Keiss patted the almost-three-and-a-half-year-old on the head and left the two girls on deck behind as he dashed into the Guild ship.

* * *

Vigali was still looking at Kei's painting as Keiss quietly stole into the office, silently moving to stand behind his father. "Uhhh, Vigali?"

"So you failed." Vigali stated flatly.

"…Yeah…." Keiss replied, dejected.

"I told you that you weren't ready," Vigali continued, "but of course you didn't listen and had to have things your way."

"…" Keiss shuffled in place.

"Of course, you already know what that means," Vigali said sternly as he turned around to face Keiss. "I've decided that you – _what happened to your face_?"

Keiss paled, "I… uh…." He decided it was better to tell the truth at this point, "got into a fight…."

"With who?" Vigali demanded.

"It's no one from the Guild," Keiss rubbed his neck, "It was at the racetrack… I made a bad bet without knowing and got into a fight with the boy I made it with afterwards…"

Vigali inwardly cursed Milka for not warning him ahead of time, the Selkie Vixen was probably enjoying her prank, "And you got sent running with your tail between your legs did you?"

Keiss was silent, but that in itself was more than enough to answer Vigali's question.

"You have terrible luck for a Selkie, you know that?" Vigali sighed and sank into his chair.

Keiss sighed, "So are we done here?"

"Not yet," Vigali crossed his arms, "I still haven't told you my decision."

"Do we really have to do this?" Keiss snapped, exasperated, "I already know! I failed! You were right, I wasn't ready! I shouldn't even have tried! I-"

"You done pitching a fit yet?" Vigali asked an amused smile on his face.

Keiss stopped.

"Come with me," Vigali motioned for Keiss to follow him.

Whatever Keiss was expecting, it wasn't that. He followed his father half-suspiciously, half-curiously. What did he want to do – embarrass Keiss in front of the entire Guild? He wouldn't put it past the old man.

Vigali led Keiss through the twisted corridors until they reached a battered wooden door. Keiss eyed it curiously, "I thought this place was off-limits?"

"It is," Vigali said as he opened the door, the rusted hinges held the door firmly in place and Vigali had to use more strength than usual to open it. "This is the first time it's been opened since the Izmayel ran aground."

Keiss stared at the demolished scene past the door, half of the hallway was missing. Empty space filled the right side of the corridor where there should have been cabins, and most of the rooms on the left hand side where demolished as well. Keiss thought he could spy one of the ship's anchors caught in the debris, but before he could investigate more, Vigali began walking down the wrecked space, motioning for Keiss to follow.

They went past a row of destroyed rooms, until they came to a door. This room didn't look so bad, Keiss noted. Vigali opened the door to reveal over half of the room was missing. There was still some scattered furniture in the room that had been bolted to the floor to prevent the ship's movement from toppling it. Keiss looked up at his father questioningly.

"This is where you were born, and where your mother died."

Keiss stared at the demolished place, what was once a grand room was now damp and grown over with mold and lichen. "This place?"

"Aye," Vigali nodded gravely, "but this is also the place where she found the world's greatest treasure."

"World's greatest…. Treasure?" Keiss questioned.

"A treasure so great, that no gold or silver in the world would be able to compare," Vigali continued.

Keiss' eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Yes," Vigali smiled sadly, "yet the moment she finally had it in her hands, she was lost to us."

Keiss stared at the broken up floor boards and down at the ocean tide, swirling several meters below. "What happened to the treasure?" He asked.

Vigali remained silent for a moment. "Close your eyes," He finally said.

"Why?" Keiss questioned.

"Just do it," Vigali ordered sternly.

Keiss obediently closed his eyes and felt something press down on his head, he tried to open one eye.

"No peeking."

Keiss huffed and closed his eye again.

"Done, you can open them now," Vigali stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"What is this?" Keiss opened his eyes to see what was on his head. He pulled it off and recognized his father's blue and green bandanna that he always wore on his arm. "Your bandanna?"

Vigali shook his head, "Wrong. Your mother's bandanna."

Keiss looked at the bandanna in a new light, If you looked closesly, you could see faded bloodstains on it. Keiss had always assumed that his father had gotten blood on it in one of his daring sea battles. "This is…. Mom's blood?"

Vigali nodded, "It is with this bandanna that she held the greatest treasure in her final moments."

Keiss stared in awe at the blue bundle he held in his hands, "In this?"

"Go on, put it back on," Vigali urged.

"Okay," Keiss struggled to put it back on, "It's too big!" As he spoke, the oversized bandanna flopped down over his eyes. He used one hand to lift it back up.

"Aye, but you'll grow into it," Vigali assured him. "She'd want to you have it, as a celebration gift."

"Celebration of what?" Keiss asked.

"Congratulations, from this day forward you are a full member of the Selkie Guild."

Keiss stared at his father in shock, "But…. I failed."

"Failure often comes before victory, the important thing having the will to keep going even after failing," Vigali continued. "I hope I can count on you for that."

Keiss reached up and touched his mother's bandanna gingerly before flashing his father a toothy grin, "Of course you can!"

"Good lad," Vigali smiled back, "Dismissed."

Keiss glanced up at his father before swiftly dashing over to him and giving him a quick hug. Vigali started in surprise but before he could react Keiss was out of his reach and off down the hall, "Thanks, Dad!" The Selkie boy shouted as he ran off to brag to Nadeen.

Vigali watched him as he ran off and sighed deeply, "Kei… our boy has some of the worst luck I've ever seen… watch over him…"


End file.
